Never mind the fact that President Obama has taken far less vacation time than his predecessors, the right, with a lot of help from their friends in the corporate media, have been relentless with their attacks of President Obama for daring to ever take a vacation, and for playing too many rounds of golf to suit them.
As we've already discussed here, the attacks have been pretty relentless over the last couple of weeks, and I thought I saw some of the worst of it with Mike Huckabee's obnoxious rant last week, but his cohort "Judge" Jeanine Pirro over at Faux "news" managed to one up him this Saturday.
Not only did Pirro use President Obama's golfing while on vacation as an excuse to launch a hate filled screed where she called him every name in the book, she also used the occasion to demand that President Obama "destroy ISIS." Pirro didn't explain exactly how he's supposed to do this, not that it matters much. The only purpose this serves is for her to get a chance to call him "weak" and imply that he's too lazy to do his job.
Here's transcript from Fox's blog for anyone who doesn't want to or can't watch the clip: Judge Jeanine to Obama: If Your Goal Isn’t to Destroy ISIS, ‘You Need to Leave the White House’:
This is the last straw. President Obama’s response in both words and action to the beheading of American James Foley was so weak, wimpy and pathetic that it's embarrassing.
In times like these, great leaders understand both the enormity and the urgency of the situation, they take the reins, and they lead. Not our president; he channels Teddy Roosevelt, but instead of ‘speak softly and carry a big stick,’ it's ‘speak softly and carry a big bertha.’ But oh, he talks a big game:
“We will be vigilant and we will be relentless. When people harm Americans anywhere, we do what’s necessary to see that justice is done.”
Relentless? For at least eight minutes until you get back to the golf course on your three-week vacation.
Mr. President, where is your humanity? This innocent man and his family deserve better.
British Prime Minister Cameron – at the sound of the killer's British accent – immediately left his vacation and flew home to get back to work.
Americans are justifiably outraged and wonder if you are disengaged, tired, overworked, bored, or just clueless?
But then again, at this point, what difference does it make? What difference do you make? What difference can you make?
There are no words to describe the horror, the savagery, the beheading of James Foley, to describe the agony of his mom and dad who for two years while ISIS held him hostage fought to bring him home.
"We’re the greatest country on Earth, we're Americans. They'll bring him home!”
Yes, hope does spring eternal.
But there are no words to describe the disappointment when nations far less powerful bring their hostages home while the greatest, most powerful nation on Earth does not.
There are no words to describe the anxiety, the panic, the loss of hope, the desperation, the moment ISIS emails how and when their son will die. No words to describe the finality, the animal – hooded in black – in the process of decapitating an American forced to his knees, his hands bound, his head pulled back.
And you, Mr. President, fist bump your friends within minutes on the golf course?
You are so weak that when criticized you hadn't done enough, you spill your guts and blame the intelligence community again!
"We tried to get him - but it didn't work!"
Excuse me? Isn't that classified information? Haven't you indicted people for less under the espionage act? You not only burnt our sources, you put the other American hostages in even more danger.
What's that? You don't pay ransoms? You don't negotiate with terrorists? Well what the hell was the Bergdahl trade? Aside from replenishing the enemy in a time of war, you violated not one but two laws.
If you don't negotiate with terrorists, what was John Kerry doing with Hamas? And why were you negotiating with Iran on its nuclear proliferation?
Not only are the American people justifiably outraged, but even your own Pentagon disagrees with you. They understand the enormity of what's at stake.
Hagel seems damn scared:
“They’re beyond just a terrorist group. They’re tremendously well-funded; oh this is beyond anything that we’ve seen.”
Dempsey gets it:
“This is an organization that has an apocalyptic end-of-days strategic vision and which will eventually have to be defeated.”
But you're not going to act without your favorite line – the international community standing alongside us.
Mr. President, why do we need someone to stand alongside us? I didn't see anyone standing alongside James Foley. He was alone in that desert, his blood staining the sand.
He was an American, our son, and you play golf.
But hey, good news, you put Eric Holder in charge. Really? You want to prosecute these guys? Mr. President, you don't have a clue.
This is an act of war! These are crimes against humanity. Why not just admit it?
You don't want the job, you want the perks – vacations, golf. You don't want the responsibility. You can't make a decision. You live in a make-believe world, colored with vanishing red lines. Well, that just doesn't cut it for us anymore.
Stop being a spectator, and start being a leader.
What are you waiting for? What is your goal?
Obama: “People like this ultimately fail.”
Wishing and hoping doesn't cut it. Hitler failed, but only after he killed 6 million people.
If you do not have as your goal the destruction of the ISIS, if you do not have the determination, the desire, and the stamina, then you need to leave. I'm not talking about vacation.
You need to leave the White House. Remove yourself from the most powerful position on Earth. You are putting Americans on the wrong side of history, risking everything.
But if you decide to stay, take a listen to what a real leader sounds like:
Winston Churchill: “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat. You ask what is our policy? To wage war against a monstrous tyranny, never surpassed in the dark, lamentable catalogue of human crime. What is our aim? Victory, victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory, however long and hard the road may be; for without victory, there is no survival.”
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